


A Broken King

by PitchBlackWings



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: A Family Torn Apart, Angst/very little to no comfort, Betrayal, Death, Fallen Multiverse, Inspiration strikes and I could not resist, M/M, Torture, Violence, Worst-Case Scenario, You Have Been Warned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 12:14:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24969523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PitchBlackWings/pseuds/PitchBlackWings
Summary: Basically a worse-case scenario for A Living Nightmare.What if just one little sentence had been rewritten?What if everything had changed?
Relationships: Error/Broken!Nightmare, Twisted Errormare
Comments: 70
Kudos: 81





	1. The Beginning of the End

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Living Nightmare](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19980724) by [PitchBlackWings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PitchBlackWings/pseuds/PitchBlackWings). 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is an alternate ending, if you would, to Chapter Eighteen of ALN.
> 
> Please remember that this has its own seperate canon and no possible happy ending as of right now in the foreseeable future... read with caution! ^^'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this was really a gift for myself because i have had so many EVIL IDEAS for this AU (still don't have a name for this Multiverse, i'm thinking of calling this broken/angst filled spin-off "Broken Nightmare", wow how original...)… SO HERE GO ALL THE SUPER EVIL IDEAS THAT COULDNT FIT INTO THE REAL STORYLINE!! it's a whole new storyline that resumes from chapter 18!!
> 
> Not beta read so sorry for any mistakes ^^'

"A-all right. I'll do-"

Dream froze mid-sentence, staring at the skeleton that had suddenly appeared behind the Gang.

Four large tentacles whipped agitatedly through the air, betraying their owner's rage as Nightmare cleared his throat loudly.

The skeletons all whipped around to face him, displaying various levels of disbelief and terror.

Killer was the first to regain posession of his voice. "B-Boss, this isn't what it-"

"-Looks like?" Nightmare asked, tone cold and filed with suppressed anger. "I hope not. because it _looks like_ you were just about to betray me to my enemies, even after I was so nice as to give you an example of what would happen if you tried that, in Error. Where _is_ Error, anyway?"

"Error's on a resource run," Horror fibbed. "He thought we needed more food-"

"And he went on a run all on his own without use of his legs?" Nightmare interrupted, deadpan, tendrils writhing dangerously. "I'd like the truth out of your **lying mouth,** or I'll clean it out and stitch it shut for you."

Killer stepped in front of Horror protectively. "Error is-"

Nightmare swatted the tarry-eyed skeleton out of the way, eyelight never leaving Horror's shaking form. "Ah, ah, ah. I asked _Horror_."

Horror stumbled back awkwardly. "T-the Anti-Void," he all but whispered. "He encoded it so you can't g-get inside with a firewall..."

"There, that's better. All I asked for was the truth," Nightmare said, tentacles calming down slightly.

Dream was backed up into the wall, terror etched onto his face. His brother turned to face him next.

"Is this what I get for my generosity in letting you live, Dream? Setting my own men against me isn't very nice, you know." Nightmare tsked patronizingly, single eye narrowing. "Aren't we brothers? Can't you treat me with the proper respect?"

"You're not my brother," Dream whispered. "You aren't Nighty.."

Nightmare curled his lip.  
"I stopped being 'Nighty' a long time ago, my dear, deluded Dream. 'Nighty' was weak. 'Nighty' was pathetic, letting everyone do whatever they wanted to him."

He leaned close. "The 'Nighty' you knew? he's _dead_."

Dream whimpered quietly, nowhere to go. His back was against the wall of his cell already.  
Thankfuly, Nightmare backed off, seemingly satisfied.

"Well now. What am I to do with the rest of you **filthy traitors?** " The black skeleton queried, turning his gaze onto the five skeletons in his gang. "Obviously I can't leave you alone...."

Killer scowled, leaning against the wall as he picked himself up. But he didn't say anything, lest he be the one to snap the dark guardian's last thread of patience.

There was a considerable pause as Nightmare surveyed the gang, ignoring Dream. He was too weak to pose much of a threat on a good day, and certainly not at a time such as this.

Nightmare snapped his fingers suddenly.  
"Fresh. Killer."

The two skeltons jolted when their names were called, apprehension thick in the air. Seconds later, two tendrils shot out, coiling around their necks. There was barely any pressure, and the skeletons both froze, afraid of angering or aggravating Nightmare and giving him a reason to squeeze. It would be pitifully easy for him to break their necks like this...

"You two will come with me," Nightmare continued. "The rest of you are grounded. You will all stay in your SEPERATE rooms until I come and get you for meals. If you act up or break the rules...."

The corrupted skeleton shook Killer and Fresh once, roughly, squeezing tightly for a few seconds before releasing the extra pressure.

**"These two will pay the hefty price of your disobedience. Am I _understood?_ "**

He seemed to be waiting for a response, so with weak nods, everyone showed their stunned acknowledgement of the demands.

Nightmare smirked, grin too wide to be sane. "Good."

He yanked Fresh and Killer to their feet, giving a silent chuckle as they stumbled over to his side.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Nightmare queried, an edge of danger to his voice. "Aren't you supposed to be in your rooms?"

Cross looked desperately at his two brothers in Nightmare's grasp. "W-what are you going to do to-"

A tendril snapped to Cross's chest, sharpened and deadly. _"Chop chop,"_ Nightmare said in a sing-song voice that barely hid his annoyance.

"Go, guys," Killer grunted, struggling somewhat to sound reassuring. "I- we'll be fine, okay?"

With worried glances and silent protests, the gang teleported off to their rooms, one by one. What else could they do?

Nightmare hummed contentedly, waalking out of Dream's cage and slamming the door with a bit of blue magic after dragging Fresh and Killer through the doorway, retrapping Dream inside.  
"You can stay in your own little room," Nightmare said airily. "I was wondering why you weren't starting to become... diseased... just yet. It was because Killer was healing you and giving you food!"

He shook Killer somewhat violently, and the tarry-eyed skeleton groaned in pain as the corruption jolted his neck.

Nightmare snickered. "Well, you won't be getting any more of that cheating help, so it's fine. I'll jist have to be rougher from now on. And don't worry! Killer's been a bad boy, so i'll make sure to punish both him and Fresh _properly_. Maybe I'll even let you watch, wouldn't that be fun?"

The black guardian gave one last deranged smile at Dream's speechless horror, even bothering to wave a bit.

"I'll be seeing you," he hummed maliciously. **"Soon."**

Dream sat in his cell for about half an hour, numb, still trying to process what had just happened, before it finally hit him. He collapsed onto the floor, curling up and sobbing in exhaustion and pain, both physical and emotional.

_What..... what have I done???_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now you know what I spared you all from >:3c
> 
> You're welcome, and I enjoyed writing this WAY too much hahaha.....
> 
> Leave a kudos if you liked, or maybe even a COMMENT, gasp! I love reading all of your comments~ it leads to inspiration, which leads to more chapters!!
> 
> Not sure when this will update, by the way... sorry! Another side project to add to the list, haha...


	2. Torture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang done messed up and now it's time to pay the price~

Killer and Fresh were sitting down on a large couch in Nightmare's office, watching the other skeleton sit down at his desk and fold his fingers together in a steeple.

"I'm not exactly dissapointed, but I am surprised that you thought you could get away with such behavior," Nightmare said after a few moments, his gaze sharp and predatory. "What ever gave you the notion that you could pull that off?"

Killer bit his tongue, cursing internally at the situation they were placed in. Maybe if they stayed quiet, Nightmare's rage would cool somewhat.

After a short pause, said tentacled skeleton snarled angrily, standing up and stalking towards them. "Well then, I'll assume the worst. That you're dirty traitors who went to the enemy behind my back to betray me to them."

Killer winced, leaning back as Nightmare approached, the only thing betraying his rage being his tone and the agitated tendrils whipping at his back.

"I.…" Killer couldn't say what he wanted, tongue tying itself into ever larger knots as fear got the better of him.

How easy would it be for Nightmare to kill him at this point? To kill Fresh? Just a swing of a tendril, and then... the dust would fly. It had been years since Killer had felt this kind of horror at being at the mercy of the Guardian of Negativity... now, with the knowledge he had obtained of the dark skeleton's abilities and magic, he was more afraid than when he first met Nightmare.

Nightmare growled with a low, feral rasp, betraying his anger, and Killer instinctively tried to back up as far as possible, back hitting the couch almost painfully. When he couldn't move anymore, he adjusted his stance slightly so that Fresh was at least partially protected. Hopefully Nightmare would ignore the poor skeleton... after all, Killer was the one who had really betrayed him.

But as the Guardian's single cyan eye flicked over to the colorful Monster Killer was trying to protect, his heart sank with fear for the other.

"Well, Killer," Nightmare said, his voice smooth and cold, not matching up with his fearsome appearance. **"Perhaps you need a more _severe_ punishment than last time."**

Killer's eyes widened in horror as tendrils whipped out to grab both of the two captives tightly by the neck, unable to do anything but go slack when Nightmare summoned his magic, dragging them both through the floor in a corrupted teleport.

When Killer could breathe again, free from the constricting hold of his (former?) father's magic, chest heaving for air that he shouldn't _need_ , his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light to look around.

His Soul clenched when he finally recognized the room, dimly lit by traditional wall-torches as it hadn't been revamped since Nightmare first came to the castle, centuries ago.

_The torture room._

Killer choked on his own breath as he looked fearfully around at the shapes in the room, his vision slowly adjusting to highlight the jagged, sharp edges of deadly, painful things meant to hurt and destroy, scattered all over the large dungeon-esque room.

"I think that you wouldn't learn anything if I hurt _you_ , Killer," Nightmare said, voice cold as ice. "So all you'll have to do is watch."

The tarry-eyed skeleton winced in fear, trying to stammer out a reply. "B-but I was the one who betrayed you, right? Who else is gonna be punished if not the one w-who deserves it?"

Nightmare finally smiled, something that sent chills down the other's back. It was unlike anything the dark Guardian had ever shown his gang before- it was a dangerous promise of hurt and terror, usually saved for Dream and Ink whenever they crossed the line in battle and hurt one of his Gang extensively. It was horrifying to be on the receiving end of it...

The King of Negativity tilted his head, gesturing to a weakly thrashing Fresh fighting for air and circulation against the tendrils wrapped around his neck and torso.

**"That's why I brought Fresh along, isn't it?"**

Killer let out a tiny gasp at the sight of the 'child' of the gang being held captive, Nightmare's tentacle choking the life slowly out of the smaller skeleton.

"Let him go, Da- Boss! He didn't have anything to do with this!" Killer was desperate at this point, with nothing else he could do other than stare horrified at Fresh's weakening struggles.

"Mmmmmmmm... if you're truly that desperate...."  
Nightmare hummed with a glint in his eye, staring at Killer and sending chills down the other's spine, giving Fresh a shake and watching as the tarry-eyed skeleton inhaled sharply in fear.

**"Perhaps we could make a _deal_."**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come talk (or scream at me) at my Discord! Discord users already saw most of this chapter, except for a bit of a plot twist at the end ^^ 
> 
> https://discord.gg/jaYTJDb
> 
> Small drabble giveaways are happening now! ;3 (or once I finish the one I need to still do haha--)


	3. First Comes The Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Torture session is temporarily delayed to make room for threats and panic attacks soon to come ;3
> 
> Someone on Discord suggested that I update this next because they really liked the plot, and to be completely honest I have like.... zero plot plans for this, it's just spiraling in a constant downward direction and I honestly don't know what I'm gonna write next, except that its gonna continue the pattern of "STOP DIGGING THE HOLE DEEPER YOU MORONS"
> 
> Alternate title: "Nightmare, You Should Probably Eat A Snickers…"

Killer blanched, staring in terror at his former father figure.

"…A deal…?"

Nightmare nodded slowly.  
"Even though you don't deserve it, i'll give you a chance to save both your and Fresh's sorry excuses for lives."

His eyes narrowed. "Do I have your attention now…?"

"Y-yeah, Boss, just please let Fresh go! You're killing him," Killer said, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth franticaly. He couldn't do anything against Nightmare's hightened and superior strength; all he could do was hope to cling to the fleeting thread of mercy he had left. "You're going to strangle him to death!"

"And it would be just what he deserves," Nightmare responded, voice calm and collected. "But even still...."

To Killer's intense relief, the tentacles choking the colorful skeleton eased their hold, letting Fresh clatter to the floor in a limp but alive heap of bones.

"He's no good to me dead, not just yet," Nightmare commented, glancing disdainfully at the helpless Monster. "Listen well, Killer, because more than just your life is on the line, got that?"

Killer nodded, forcing himself to stare Nightmare in the eye instead of rush to Fresh's side with what little healing magic he knew how to use. "…Yes, boss..."

"Your idea wasn't a half bad one," The dark Guardian admitted, reclining on his tentacles in leiu of getting a chair. "If I hadn't taken precautions, you would have gotten out. So.... I'm going to expound on that little plan of yours."

Killer's Soul sank. Of course Nightmare had taken precautions.... his paranoia was relentless even before he changed, why would anything be different now…?

"You're going to go grab Dream for me in exactly a day," Nightmare continued, rubbing his chin as he thought. "By that time I should be able to override Error's firewall and wrap up that loose end. You're going to tell him that you escaped, and you're going to say that I killed everyone else. That way he won't want to rescue any captives."

Killer.... really, really didn't like where any of this was going. at ALL.

"He will take you to the Doodle Sphere," The tarlike skeleton said, certainty in his voice. "And to the hideout he, Ink, and Blue share. You're going to earn their trust and be completely friendly for a whole day. Heartbroken that I killed everyone else, realizing your 'mistakes', all that drama. Blue and Dream will totally fall for it, they let their emotions rule over them."

Fresh stirred quietly on the ground, groaning pitifully, and Nightmare shot out a sharpened tentacle nonchalantly. It was a clear warning: stay down.

Fresh did so with a whimper, giving up his efforts to push himself up off of the stone floor.

"Then, in exactly a day, at midnight... you're going to open a portal for me," The black skeleton hissed lowly, a predatory gaze fixed on Killer. "And you're going to stand aside while I kill them."

Killer was having a hard time breathing, but he mustered the air to ask a pressing question. He was deathly afraid he already knew the answer, though.  
"And if I refuse...?"

Nightmare snapped his fingers, pulling Fresh's Soul out of his chest forcefully as the other gave a pained cry, curling in on himself.

"Then I'll kill him. I'll kill _all_ of your little family members you treasure so much, and I'll keep them alive just long enough so that when I drag you back, you'll be able to see exactly how much pain you put them through before I kill them," the tarry Monster snarled, curling his fingers around Fresh's Soul as he paused, considering something.

"Or perhaps I'll let you watch as I absorb their Souls? While I taint the very fabric of their being with my corruption? The possibilities are quite nearly endless."

Good news, that wasn't the answer Killer was expecting.

Bad news... it was a thousand times _worse._

Killer glanced from Fresh, to Fresh's Soul, to Nightmare, and back with a frantic fuzz settling over his mind. There was no good option from this outcome. None.

Save his family ~~for the moment~~ : Blue died, and Ink maybe-died, and so many innocent, unnecessary deaths would happen around the Multiverse...

Save Ink to hope he could find a cure.... and his famiy would die, or suffer a fate worse than death.

Even if Nightmare could be cured, he would despise himself for the rest of his life for what he had done....

In a sudden moment of clairity, Killer spoke again.  
"C-could I talk to the others…? Let them know what's at stake for me... for all of us…?

Nightmare tapped his foot several times, thinking, before nodding with a smie slightly too wide to be sane.  
"Sure. You have until tomorrow morning to make up your mind, though. And just in case you try anything..."

He clenched his fist tighter around the shining heart in his hand, causing Fresh to cry out in agony.  
"I'll corrupt his Soul faster than you could summon an attack, so don't try any funny stuff. Go on, visit around, but don't think you'll be alone."

"Y-you're coming too...?" Killer didn't want Nightmare anywhere near himself or the others, and especially not if they were to come up with a feasible plan.

"Of course not, you'll have your privacy," Nightmare assured him with false kindness, relaxing his grip on Fresh's Soul slightly, allowing the other to breathe as he stepped away, summoning his magic for a teleport.

The last thing to glitch out of existence was his blinding cyan eye, fixed relentlessly upon Killer's form... and a final warning.

"But remember.... **if you even THINK of crossing me.... their dust will be on your hands, not mine.** "


	4. Breaking Down the Doors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Error is sort of just.... trapped in the Anti Void at the moment. What's going on with him?
> 
> Alternate Chapter Title: "Hide your kids, lock the doors- ah well there go the doors"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im not sorry :3  
> WOOT WOOT ERROR GETS TO HAVE A BAD TIME TOO

Error stared at the one-way portal window he had created in utter horror.

How had everything gone so terribly wrong?

Now they were worse off than ever- Dream was still trapped, but he would be without Killer's gentle care to ease Nightmare's torture. And on top of all that, Fresh's Soul had been taken! Now escape wasn't even a viable option is they wanted to save the poor little skeleton...

As soon as Error had seen that everything was going to pot, he began building up moreand more firewalls. WIth any luck whatsoever, they would buy him enough time to escape the Anti Void undetected amd reach Ink or Blue and ask for refuge in the Doodle Sphere.

But the chances of his motal enemies giving him solace in their most secret of refuges was close to nothing. Add on the factor that he was extremely injured still, and in no condition to fight.... for all he knew, it would be a suicide mission.

So, for the moment, he kept building up his firewalls, also creating a hidden exit if there were another intruder to come. A reclusive normal Undertale AU awaited for him to escape as a last resort, buying him precious extra time.

Time for what, he wasn't sure.

He kept watching the hideout as best he could while working on his code, buffering it in ways he hadn't really used before. With any luck at all, if Nightmare were to try and follow him, he would be held at bay for a bit by the protective screenings of code around the AU-space.

But luck really hadn't been on Error's side lately, had it?

Error's eyelight widened when he realized that Nightmare did indeed mean to follow him eventually. If the Guardian were to somehow make it into the AU, Error was a sitting duck. Or rather, an injured, sprawled-out duck. He couldn't bother to sit upright and had instead been splayed out on the floor watching his portal-window.

Deciding that he would rather have a bit of extra protection, Error called on his magic with panful twinges to anchor his strings to the voidspace above him, wrapping himself up in a makeshift hammock and pulling himself into the air, far below the ground. It would be very hard to see him now, even though Nightmare would probably track by using his magical signature instead of his appearance. Again, if the King of Nightmares were to break through Error's defenses, in the end all he was doing was buying fragments of time.

Time he couldn't afford to waste.

Although he didn't like it, once more the remnants of the Star Sanses were the only feasible hope left for the glitch.

Even if they managed to kill him, it would be better than whatever Nightmare had planned for him...

He tried to get Ink's attention by subtly changing the code of his chosen getaway AU, messing with the key FUN values to annoy him. If Ink noticed in time, maybe, just maybe, he would take Error's side.

Blue would be more likely to side with the Destroyer, being much more forgiving as a default. But the rest of the Council would be much more hesitant. and Ink already hated his guts, or what passed for them.

Error was jolted out of his worried pondering by a new presence in the Anti-Void's firewalls, cold and confrontational. Nightmare was finally making his move.

The glitch quickly pulled up a window to the code, frantically building up the reinforcements that Nightmare was tearing down with ease. It was like trying to bail water out of a boat- eventually, one of them was going to get tired or slower, and then it would be over.

Error let out a relieved sigh when the codelines for security stopped being altered after a good twenty minutes or so. Nightmare must have given up, at least for the moment. It didn't really change anything about his situation, but at least he wasn't in direct immediate danger.

The cold presence was still _there,_ but it wasn't actively trying to detroy the protections Error had built up, and he really couldn't do anything to make the coding entirely inaccessable to the Guadrian of Negativity, so that was about as good as it was going to get until Nightmare left of his own volition.

For about five minutes, Error reclined back in his sky-hammock made of strings, breathing heavily as he calmed down after the scare. His Soul took slightly longer than his body did to relax, still pounding slightly faster than usual.

After waiting to calm down and think more logically again, the glitch opened another portal to the codes, making sure his defenses weren't being breached again somehow, and to add some more firewalls and early warning sensors.

Everything was still nice and normal-

_wait a second_

There was another window open.

Chills ran down Error's spine as he realized that Nightmare had put up a fake coding window, breaking through his firewalls behind the camouflage that was staring inoccently back at Error.

He brought up a real window this time, staring desperately at the code he had just repaired crumbling much more quickly than he could repair it. He had been fooled, and there was no time to find a remedy for his horrible mistake.

Error contemplated opening a portal to his chosen emergency evacuation AU, but would it be worth it to give up what little time he had in his safe haven…? Would it be better to wait until he arrived, and then try to reverse the firewalls....? Maybe he could temporarily trap him inside the Anti Void, buying Error a few more minutes to make his escape…

That was probably the best shot he had at the moment.

Error quickly began to quickly repurpose the crumbled code left from Nightmare's intrusions, making a fragile cage for the other skeleton once he appearedin the white expanse of space. There was no promise it would work, but it was the best shot, so he kept working at a frantic pace.

Soon, much to soon, there was a last snap of code as Nightmare got rid of the last of Error's restraining firewalls and protections, and the glitch's Soul sank as he heard the faraway sound of a portal opening.

**"Oh, Ruuruuuu~"**

Error's time of safety was up, and the string holding his fate was beginning to fray with every step echoing through the endless white expanse.

He would pray to a god, any god... but with his luck, he could be speaking to a demon and never know it.

After all, wasn't that the best word to describe what was approaching him from below...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if Error should escape... or be recaptured? Idk, what do yall think? I can spin it into hopeless misery either way ;3
> 
> let me know on my Discord page! :D
> 
> https://discord.gg/jaYTJDb
> 
> Q&A is open on there now for Nightmare in all of my fics, including this one! Try to hug him or give him a cookie, have some fun! ;3
> 
> tell me if its expired by some glitch please oTL


End file.
